Activist groups laud information as objective and aligning with
globally accepted scientific standards
SINGAPORE — An FAQ section on sexuality posted by the Health
Promotion Board (HPB) on its website recently has gone viral, after
its answers to topics such as homosexuality raised some
eyebrows.
The answers provided by the statutory board to questions such as
“Is being gay or bisexual a mental illness?”, and “Are homosexual
and bisexual men more likely to get STIs/HIV?”, among others, were
received positively by many.
For instance, its answer to the question “How different is a
same-sex relationship from a heterosexual relationship?” noted that
same-sex relationships, as with heterosexual ones, “take the
commitment of two people ... (and are) also a connection of two
families, cultures and sometimes racial backgrounds and
values”.
The HPB also said, in response to another question, that
homosexuals can have long-lasting relationships that are “based on
values like trust, love, commitment and support”.
In response to TODAY’s queries, the HPB said the information was
developed with input from professional counsellors and was one of
its initiatives to “educate youths on sexually-transmitted
diseases”.
“It serves as a one-stop resource to provide factual information on
sexuality and STI/HIV prevention from a public health perspective,”
it said, adding that visitors have generally found the information
“useful and educational”.
But the HPB also reiterated that “the family remains the basic
building block of our society”.
“This means encouraging heterosexual married couples to have
healthy relationships and to build stable nuclear and extended
family units. The Government has been consistent in this line with
the HPB taking reference from it in our health promotion
activities.”
The positive comments to the HPB’s FAQ section on sexuality stand
in contrast to the findings from a recent survey that showed
widely-held negative views towards homosexuality.
The Institute of Policy Studies survey on race, language and
religion — conducted between December 2012 and April last year —
involving more than 4,000 Singapore residents found 72.9 per cent
of respondents saying it was “always wrong” or “almost always
wrong”, when asked how they felt about gay marriages. The survey
results were released on Jan 28.
As for same-sex sexual relations between two adults and
child-adoption by a gay couple, 78.2 per cent and 61.1 per cent,
respectively, expressed disapproval.
The board’s FAQ section on sexuality started making its rounds
online last weekend, with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) advocacy and support groups that TODAY spoke to welcoming
it.
LGBT movement Pink Dot SG’s spokesperson Paerin Choa said it found
the information to be objective and aligned with globally accepted
scientific standards.
Adding that it was “commendable” of the board to publish the
“comprehensive” article, he added: “LGBT individuals are often
marginalised in society, with misinformation and prejudice
perpetuating the stigma of being LGBT in Singapore.”
Mr Bryan Choong, who is Executive Director of LGBT counselling
service Oogachaga, added that young people can get appropriate
information about sexuality from the article.
Youths involved in focus group discussions and online surveys in
recent years have said the sexuality education they receive
insufficiently addresses their needs, especially when they were
either questioning or exploring their sexual orientation and gender
identity.
Ms Jean Chong, who co-founded women gay rights group Sayoni, also
noted that family and friends of LGBT individuals may also prefer
to turn to information on such issues provided by government
agencies or statutory boards such as the HPB, because of their
perception that LGBT groups may be biased.
But an individual who goes by the name “Aaron” has started an
online petition against the HPB article, describing the information
provided by the statutory board as “one-sided” and
“pro-homosexuality”.
He urged the Health Minister to conduct a “thorough, non-biased,
comprehensive review” of the information. The petition has garnered
more than 750 signatures so far.
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